


Oracle

by Jazzy_Kandra



Category: Cosmere - Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson, SANDERSON Brandon - Works, The Alloy of Law - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Remember that episode from AoL where Tan claims to have seen the three, this is that episode and my theory is Tan is an electrum misting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 12:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15971912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jazzy_Kandra/pseuds/Jazzy_Kandra
Summary: Most of the time, Tan is just a mortician. Sometimes, however, he is an Oracle and can thus see further than any man should, into a Realm beyond sight where gods dwell.Possibly AU. Mistshot ficlet.





	Oracle

Tan hadn’t meant to flare electrum so much, so often, but it had happened nonetheless. It wasn’t the most useful ability, but sometimes, seeing one’s own future–how one would react to outside stimuli–could be useful under some circumstances. Then…flaring electrum, that could give you glimpses into the other Realm. It let a person see gods, the spirits of the recently deceased, the mists in day. He had become addicted to it, and thus, it had changed him. Warped him. Made him curious about those things which were hidden to man.

Most often that was just the inners of human bodies, today, it was also the Realm beyond sight where the gods dwelled.

Now, like before, he saw the three near a river in the regular world, but a strip of solid land in this one, surrounded by a sea of mists. Death stood on the river, arms across his chest, a blond man stood there too, walking staff in one hand, a large sack thrown over his shoulder. His face was turned away from Tan so that he could only see the man’s hawklike nose and left eye. This was no doubt Death’s brother, the Survivor himself. Before them, Harmony waded in the mists, dress in the traditional ornate robes of a Terris steward, he was tall and gangly, far taller, even, than the brothers speaking with him. None of them noticed Tan. Tan was used to that though, he was just a mortician.

“If that’s all, I’m off than, the guys are expecting me on Nalthis in a week and foreign affairs is an utter mess,” said the Survivor, a grin on his face.

“You’ll be late, brother.”

“That’s the plan,” came the reply.

Harmony sighed. “There is one last thing, Kelsier. An issue I have.”

“Shoot.” Strangely, he rolled his free hand into a fist and pointed at Harmony with his index-finger…then pretended to take aim. What? Did he think that gesture looked like a gun?

“Waxillium needs to return to Elendel.”

“Breeze’s kid? The damn lawman?” The Survivor raised an eyebrow. “You want  _me_  to talk that brat into doing something? I’d rather punch him.”

Death sighed. Tan knew of a Waxillium, but he did not know how that lawman could possibly be related to that Breeze. Unless…

“No, do not approach him, Kelsier,” Harmony said, a hint of warning in his voice. “It is the kandra Paalm I am concerned about. She refuses to tell him to return…“

"And you…want me to do something?”

“How would you get her to listen?” Harmony asked. “She has persistently refused to obey my commands…it is unlike her.”

“In your shoes, take control of her,” he answered. “Or, if it were just  _me,_  I’d convince her to do it. Frankly, this is your job, not mine. I have to get going.”

With that, he trotted off down the river, leaving both Death and Harmony alone. Death’s eyes remained on the Survivor’s retreating back until he disappeared around a bend.

After closing his eyes, Death then crossed his arms over his chest. “Shirking responsibility. Typical.”

“He is right, I’m afraid… perhaps, however, an opportunity might still present itself…”

“Don’t take any drastic measures,” said Death. “You know what happened last time you interfered directly.”

“Do not worry. I will not almost end life on one side of the planet by creating the Basin this time, I think.“

Death flattened his lips. "The other times.”

Harmony nodded. “I will take care, old friend,” he said. “It would have been easier if he had agreed to help….”

Death just shook his head, then Tan’s electrum went out, and he was left among dead. At least it wasn’t a boring job, he had always liked figuring out how people died…and running scenarios–things he would never try, he half-hearted reminded himself–about how he, a mortician could kill them better. Make the deaths more interesting. Make it, even, a work of art. He could discover things unknown to man.

But not today. Today he had seen a vision of gods.

 

 


End file.
